feature stories | a tower proposal for libya’s tripoli 1 2 3 4 The base The tower plan is based on an equilateral triangle tilted 5° to the south, sitting on two lotus-petal shaped commercial podium floating on a reflective pond. The metal clad canopy shielding the access bridge that connects the VIP entrance to the commercial podium continues along the same axis to adorn the main entrance. It is mounted on cone-shaped columns and finished with the same joint-free metal effect. The back canopy presented an additional structural challenge because it rests on two separate structures; it is supported on the concrete tower structure on one end and on the parking structure with sliding joints on the other. 5 6 The form Form is based on curved arcs in plan and 3-D. The shape curves outwards from the ground floor level up to the mid-section, then inwards to the top. The tower’s triangular shape gets truncated on its northern side at its first 1/3 to become roundly shaped, then again at its 2/3 on its southernmost angle. The elegant geometry extends into two reversed tall sails, one oriented towards the seaside the other towards the city. The sails encircle a sparkling dome with spectacular views of the city and the Mediterranean coast. 1, 2 Slab limit columns provide the tower’s gravity and primary load-resisting system 3 Form 4 Mass study 5 Transversal section plan through the tower 6 North-eastern vertical section plan 30